Local Players

[Counting Crows]

From what i've heard, local players are highly sort after by many fans of clubs at our sort of level.

But how do you define a local player?

Steven Gerrard was born in Liverpool, raised in Liverpool and (presumably) lives in Liverpool. Thus he's a local player. Simple.

But how does that work for us?

The postcode for Cwmbran is NP44. Would i be right in assuming that for a player to be deemed 'local' he would have to:

a) have been born in NP44 (not possible - no hospital exists)
b) have spent at least 5 years of compulsory education in NP44
c) have been "brought-up" in NP44 (define "brought-up"!)
c) currently lives in NP44
d) all of the above?

I'd say options C (people move round after all) and D are definite no-nos. Option A has to be a no-no because not every postcode contains a maturnity hospital.

So it's B or C. FIFA use B as one way to qualify for a particular country so that might work...?

Or maybe using postcodes is a bad idea altogether?

Any thoughts?

[The Equalizer]

At last, a post worthy of some attention - and a good question.

For me, the importance placed on local players is not overtated because, in my view, local players are likely to stay with a club for a number of year rather than club hopping once or twice a year because they have an affinity and a loyalty to a particular club.

I am sure we can all think of clubs who have been deemed to have "sold their souls" in search of glory over the years and over a period of many years alienated the local footballers by bringing in big name, and often big earning, players from all over South Wales. The effects of this in the long term, if the money ever dries up, are there for all to see - ask messrs Fields Park / Pontllanffraith & Maesteg Park!!

For me a local player is one who lives in the area due to the reasons I gave above. I think that a player who lives in the area will stay at a club for a longer time because it is local to him - much as in the same way as someone from the local area who moves to say Cardiff is less likely to travel back home every weekend to play (although some do I know).

However, I think that sometimes Committees and Supporters sometimes get a little carried away with the whole local player thing because sometimes players want to play for a club despite not living in the area. If they are willing to put themselves out more than the local lads due to travelling good on them I say and I don't think any Welsh League club is in a position to turn it's nose up at people who want to be at a club enough to travel to it as long as they are in the minority.

[Counting Crows]

I think i can agree with most of that.

Would we be right in saying if a player who moves to the local area (which is difficult to define for us - is Pontypool 'the local area'?) does he then "become" a local player? E.g. if a Frenchman moves to Cwmbran (for work etc.) and playes for us, is he now a local player despite being French?

And thus does it work the other way around? E.g. if a player moves away and moves to another club, but then moves back to the club without moving back to the town, is he still rated as a local player?

It's a toughie!

On another note Equalizer, who do you support? Just curious.

[The Equalizer]

Dinas Powys

[crow61]

I agree with the Equalizer as well and would add that it could be said that we alienated some local players during our tenure in the WPL.

Having said that though I feel unless you are very fortunate there is only so far you can go with local players only. There was no way we would have had as much success as we had in our glory days, with only local players.

But on Saturdays it is great to see our two local players still in the club after six thirty. In the future I hope we see more Cwmbran boys and Cwmbran based players turn out for the Crows.

But at the end of the day what is local? I often have to go over to the next valley and can be there in under twenty mins.

[Counting Crows]

I like visiting Dinas Powys - only an 11 minute drive according to Google Maps for me! We never have much luck there though

Good point Crow61 re: being in the next valley in under 20 mins.

I remember one particular quiet day (chocker getting into Cardiff, clear getting out) when i did house (Cardiff Bay) to stadium in under 25 mins!! Don't tell the cops though